Part of being "anonymous" on the internet is "spoofing" or hiding your IP address which conveys information about your location to put it simply. There are not only privacy ramifications of this but also legal ones depending upon your online activities (hacking? blogging anti-gov info? as examples).

The methods for IP spoofing you will often hear about are proxy, VPN and TOR. Each of these have their pros and cons and the good news is they can be used together for added security!

This information is provided to help educate you and guide you - it is not the end all be on the subject and it's up to you to assess your situation and decide what is best suited for you.

As always no one paste or article will solve your security or privacy needs and it is probably worth your time to check out the following:

BASIC INFO pastes:

Becoming anonymous: http://pastebin.com/Lq8GNYR5

Ridding the internet of your info: http://pastebin.com/9txn93dh

Internet security: http://pastebin.com/Jtpntpff

Internet privacy: http://pastebin.com/nF0M3aVf

Please remember that links do go bad and new information becomes available - the playing field is dynamic so again think of this more as an introductory guide to get you started. No one link or article is going to solve your privacy/security news so read all that you can to become educated and ask questions.

These first articles focus on why you need a VPN, what it does for you and how it works. It is always good to understand the technology you are using so you should make a point to read and understand them.

VPN: What they do, how they work and why you should use one > http://gizmodo.com/5990192/vpns-what-they-do-how-they-work-and-why-youre-dumb-for-not-using-one

Learn about #VPN and why you should use it > goldenfrog.com/vyprvpn/why-vpn

If you use the Internet, you need a VPN. Here’s why > http://fusion.net/story/132931/if-you-use-the-internet-you-need-a-vpn-heres-why/

How VPNs Work howstuffworks.com/vpn.htm

Why You Should Start Using a VPN (and How to Choose the Best One for Your Needs) http://lifehacker.com/5940565/why-you-should-start-using-a-vpn-and-how-to-choose-the-best-one-for-your-needs

**GREAT list of VPN providers and info about how they operate:

Need a seriously secure VPN? > https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-anonymous-review-160220/ ***This list is usually updated yearly so do check.

If you cannot afford paid VPN Cryptostorm has free version. This is Windows "How to" but search the site for other OS setup https://cryptostorm.org/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=6931&sid=65e32b0020f0c41b15151deec9420a65

Now that you have VPN you still need to keep your guard up, read up on ways to do that:

The point of getting VPN despite #NSA surveilance --> http://schoolofprivacy.eu/post/53826146860/is-there-a-point-in-getting-vpns-and-stuff-if-agencies ***This link changes a bit so try googling if not working

Learn about #VPN and #TOR right here --> https://cryptostorm.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2894

You hear about #Tor and #VPN - considering layering your security and using both --> https://www.ivpn.net/blog/privacy-guides/why-use-tor-with-a-vpn-service

PLEASE note TOR to VPN is possible on Windows but requires some tech skills which is just one reason why Linux is advocated for those serious about privacy. VPN to TOR is not the same thing - think about it.